Christopher Gasper argued in his Boston Globe column last week that the Red Sox should get pitcher Josh Beckett signed to a new contract before the upcoming season starts. Beckett will be a free agent at the end of this year. I totally disagree with Gasper, who normally covers the Patriots.
I think the Red Sox should take a good, hard look at Beckett during the first half of the 2010 season – and, perhaps, most of the season – before offering him a new deal. Why? Beckett ended the last two seasons with injuries or ailments and his pitching performance deteriorated. Both times, his sub-par outings badly hurt the team in the playoffs. In 2008, Beckett injured his oblique muscle and in 2009, he suffered back spasms, but, in the last weeks of both years, Beckett seemed fatigued and not his normal self on the mound.
I remember, as I watched him at the end of last year, whether he’d ever be the same pitcher. In his playoff outing against the Angels, his fastball velocity and command were diminished and his curve lacked consistent bite. On October 11, 2009, the day the Red Sox got swept by the Angels, I wrote on my old Red Sox blog:
“The Red Sox cannot ever view Josh Beckett the same way now. If he stays on the team, they will have to monitor him far more closely and plan proactively to help him avoid arm fatigue or injury….It’s not clear what’s going on with his arm. His arm appeared tired, to me, during the last two months. He couldn’t throw his fastball as hard or with the same good command and his curveball became less effective or consistent.”
Yet, to my surprise, Gasper and other sportswriters are writing about the Red Sox decision on whether to negotiate a new deal with Beckett without accurately describing how bad Beckett looked at the end of last season.
Beckett, in October, 2009, was a shell of his old self. All indications suggested the Red Sox simply chose to not discuss Beckett’s arm troubles candidly with the press. It was embarrassing when the team – and Beckett – seemed to suggest he was struggling with mechanical issues rather than acknowledging what was wrong with his arm.
I like Beckett, by the way. How could any Sox fan not like this guy? He’s competitive every minute on the mound. He’s tough. He’s a loyal teammate. He’s reportedly a leader in the clubhouse.
But, if the Red Sox want Beckett at his best, they should keep a closer eye on him in 2010. They should give him extra rest whenever they can. I’d not allow him to throw as many pitches in games as he used to – period. I’d give him even more extra days off than in the past. All the evidence shows that Beckett pitches much better on more rest.
Plus, they need to see how Beckett makes it through the season. Will he be throwing the ball as hard and well in August as he does in May? Last year, his decline began in August.
Hopefully, the Red Sox helped Beckett design and follow a smart off-season workout regimen that puts him in terrific shape at spring training and beyond. The Red Sox have been good at helping pitchers build and maintain strength in the off-season; however, they seemed to have some denial about Beckett’s strength at the end of the past two seasons.
If they learned anything, they should know there is NO reason to rush into signing a new deal with Josh Beckett. If Beckett gets upset by not getting a deal done as the season starts or progresses, the team should tell him the truth: They have concerns about the health of his arm and they need to see how he holds up in 2010.
I think, it the Red Sox are smart, they’ll quietly negotiate with Beckett during the season, and, make an informal agreement that if he’s in good health by a certain date in the second half, then they can resume negotiations and try to wrap up a new deal rather than give him reasons to become a free agent. The Red Sox do not usually negotiate with players during the season, but, they make exceptions on occasion.
They can and should make an exception with Beckett, but, only after he’s demonstrated his arm is strong again.
